


Chime

by InsanitysxCreation



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Space Base AU, belly dancer!Nori, scifi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-23
Updated: 2015-12-23
Packaged: 2018-05-08 15:14:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5502497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsanitysxCreation/pseuds/InsanitysxCreation
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Thorin dragged Dwalin into a tea shop in the base EREBOR high above the planet Arda, he was not expecting to encounter a gorgeous dancer with smokey eyes and a body that danced like water.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chime

**Author's Note:**

> For  [ braidedribbon ](braidedribbon.tumblr.com) on Tumblr, as part of the Nwalin Gift Exchange. Hope you like it!
> 
> Unbeta'd, so let me know if there are any major mistakes.
> 
> Characters do not belong to me, they belong to the Tolkien estate.

    High above the atmosphere, EREBOR base orbited the planet Arda, a vast and varied sphere lush with life. The base itself - originally military during the Wars, now civilianized - was nearly half the size of Arda's moon and larger than a majority of the countries planetside. There were talks of expanding it further as the population inside grew. Those who lived on the base lived crowded but comfortable lives, no different than any other big city aside from the extreme cost of vacationing elsewhere. Because of this, many inhabitants had never been to the surface of Arda and those in charge worked desperately to keep the fragile peace balanced. EREBOR was a trade hub, with ships docking daily to unload imports from distant colonies or bringing in food and exports from the planet. Just off the main shops of the major marketplace sat a business named **_Steep_ ** with a sign that simply read "Tea served daily. Entertainment at 8" hanging beside the door.

    It was this door that Dwalin followed his squad leader to shortly after docking. Thorin, jokingly known as the Prince of Erebor, commanded Dwalin’s squadron of guards as they patrolled the system Arda lay nestled in, gripping command with a fist of iron - or more accurately, a titanium alloy, his left arm having been lost in one of the last battles of the war. Their latest mission - eradicating a group of violent orcs from one of the further out colonies - had been a rousing success so Dwalin suggested they go out to celebrate. Thorin had agreed and even claimed to know just the place, though with that worrying twinkle in his eyes. If Dwalin had known they would be going to a tea shop, he would have followed Dís to their usual bar. He rolled his eyes when Thorin glanced back at him, but followed his commander through the door.

    Dori, proprietor of **_Steep_ ** , welcomed guests into his domain with a cheerful smile and gorgeously coiffed hair. Dwalin's brows rose at the sight off the silver-haired man; he had heard of this one. It was rumored he received no fewer than five marriage proposals a week from visiting travelers and refused them all. His ability to strong-arm an angry drunk out of his business only made him more attractive to the tough folk who choose to traverse the void. After the polite greetings and locking their blasters into a standard-issue weapons locker, Dori opened the inner door that led to the main chamber. They stepped through and Dori shut the door behind them.

    Once inside, the room opened wider than Dwalin expected from the exterior, containing many U-shaped tables with high-backed booths all pointing to a multi-tiered stage. It was quiet for now, but technicians buzzed - sometimes literally as Dwalin caught sight of a few in hoverpacks adjusting a light - around the stage to prepare it for the night's performance. It held some of the quaint atmosphere Dwalin had expected of a tea shop: teapots warmed on floating discs in the bend of every table, the booth was plush and cozy when Thorin and Dwalin sat in an available one next to the stage, and a musician plucked at a many-stringed instrument in one corner to fill the space with soft music. But it also had an electric edge Dwalin had most felt in dance clubs or brothels, manifesting in the barely-there clothing that servers of all genders wore, a bar with a back wall covered in brightly colored bottles, and the massive stage being readied for dancers. He had even caught a glimpse of one gathering bottles of water from a bar tender; they were lithe, with auburn hair and sleek lines, wearing very little clothes that twinkled in the subdued lighting. Thorin saw him watching and nudged him with the sharp point of his elbow, grinning cheekily. Dwalin just grumbled and poured himself some tea which was, admittedly, very tasty.

    Thorin ordered something off the small menu. Dwalin declined, watching the technicians clear the stage area and more musicians emerge from a cleverly hidden door. A quick check of his timepiece showed it was nearly time for the night’s entertainment. The lights dimmed and Thorin chuckled, relaxing back into his seat. Dwalin arched an eyebrow at him, but kept his eyes on the stage as the musicians began their first song.

    At first the room was dark, then colored beams of light shot out of the stage, fanning and creating patterns on the walls. The music got louder as panels on the stage retracted and dancers emerged, raising up through the holes. Dwalin noticed the dancer he had seen before was on the side of the stage closest to him. They seemed to be wearing even less now, if that was possible, what fabrics they had on loose and draping over their body. Twinkling drew his attention to the dancer's waist, where hundreds of tiny discs were woven into a belt, some hanging down to chime against each other softly. More discs adorned each of the dancer's wrists and were woven into a shimmering net that lay over their hair, which was a gorgeous fiery red under the lights and braided back into three braids that hung down well past their back. Even their ankles glittered with the chimes, though their feet were bare. A quick glance around showed all of the dancers in similar attire. They were all frozen until the last of the stage pieces locked into place- and then they moved like no one Dwalin had seen before. He slumped back in his seat as his jaw dropped, eyes fixed on the red-headed dancer.

    The redhead’s hips rolled and shook to the rhythm of the music, hands twisting in the air above their head. Together with the other dancers, they stepped in a tight circle, hopped and leapt across the stage, and shimmied in a way that made every bell and disc on their outfit chime. Dwalin couldn't say how long the dance lasted; it felt like an eternity and an instant all at once. But the dance did end and the dancers stepped of the stage to mingle with the crowd as another took the stage alone.

    The redhead Dwalin had watched was heading his way, smiling and talking easily to those at a nearby table. Dwalin took a deep drink of his tea, for courage or to keep his hands busy he didn't know. His eyes meet the piercing gaze of the dancer. They said something to end their current conversation and were back on the move, eyes still on his. The dancer's hips undulated as they sidled closer to Dwalin, a broad smirk on their painted lips.

    "Hello there big an' handsome. See something you like?" They did a flirtatious body roll that made Dwalin's mouth go instantly dry. Their laugh was much like the chiming bells they wore. "What's a'matter? My beauty leave you speechless?" Dumbly, Dwalin nodded, incredibly thankful that Thorin had slipped off at some point. The soldier was sure he saw the dancer flush slightly at his honesty before they leaned closer with a purr. "Well aren't you adorable. My name is Nori; what's yours, gorgeous?"

    "D-dwalin," he managed to get out. He took a fortifying gulp of his drink. "What's your, ah, I mean are you...?" He made a vague gesture, face flaming hot. He had never gotten the knack for asking about the peculiars of a person's personal life without embarrassing himself.

    Nori blinked then grinned. "Are you asking for my pronouns? You really are adorable. I go by masculine pronouns. What about you?"

    "Same," Dwalin said, his blush starting to fade.

    "Look at that, we're learning more about each other already." Nori leaned his hip on the table, shoulders still rocking to the beat of the music as he traced fingertips along the pattern adorning the side of Dwalin’s glass. Dwalin swallowed thickly, trying his best not to notice how lewd that gesture could look. "So, are you enjoying the show?"

    "Yes,"  he said hoarsely, eyes fixed on Nori.  "You're beautiful," he suddenly blurted. Nori's eyes widened, so Dwalin hurriedly tacked on, "your dancing. You, your dancing is so beautiful."

    "Thank you," Nori replied with a small smile.  "You're new here, aren't you? I don't recognize you and I'm pretty sure I'd remember that crest." Dwalin ran a hand through his Mohawk self-consciously, horribly aware at that moment that he hadn't cleaned up much after the last mission. He probably smelled rank. Before he could apologize for his, well, everything, Nori rapped his knuckles on the table top.

    “I like you,” he declared. “I still have another set tonight, but would you like to get something after together?”

    Dwalin gaped, then quickly replied,  “Yes, yeah, I'd really enjoy that. Where do you want to....?” He trailed off, not sure of Nori’s intention for the night. His heart was pounding in his chest at just the thought that he'd get to spend more time with the gorgeous man.

    Nori beamed, flicking his head back to set his chimes jingling. “Don't worry about that, I know just the place.” Applause sounded as the current dancers finished. “I have to go get ready to dance, but I'll meet you here after, yeah?”

    “Yeah,” Dwalin agreed hoarsely.

    Nori left with a last nod and a full body roll that made Dwalin’s body go sun-hot. He quickly disappeared in the crowd.

    Dwalin ordered another pot of tea from a passing waiter, choosing a flavor from the android’s tablet and pressing his credit stick to the port. As he waited for the brew, he craned his head around with a frown. Thorin should have been back by now.

    He finally spotted his errant commander at the bar that made up one entire wall. He was talking animatedly to a short, round person with incredibly furry boots and curly hair. His red jacket had the markings of a Grocer, the pilots that courried fresh food supplies from the planet to the base. They were both laughing, so Dwalin figured Thorin was in no danger he couldn't get himself out of and returned his attention to the stage.

    There were other dancers that performed before Nori. Dwalin watched them with polite interest. They were all skilled and lovely, but he could not focus on them with Nori’s flirtations fresh in his mind.

    The latest dancers left the stage and a figure draped in layers of silky scarves sauntered into the light. Dwalin sat up straighter. It was hard to tell under all those layers, but the dancer moved a lot like Nori. The red hair that spilled out when the dancer took off the scarf wrapped around their hair confirmed their identity and made Dwalin’s breath seize in his throat. Nori’s hair was entirely unbound, wavy from being in tight braids. It flowed around his face like a waterfall of fire and dance behind him like the contrails of solar flares. The outfit and movement vividly reminded Dwalin of a picture from Arda history class of an ancient Eastern belly dancer. But ancient history was wiped from Dwalin’s mind as Nori moved.

    This dance was different from Nori’s first dance. The music was dark and sultry and Nori moved so slowly. He turned and rocked and slowly, so slowly, dragged the scarves around him off, revealing bits of skin and flashes of color. As he removed each scarf, he twisted them together to form a long multicolored rope that he danced with, twining it around his arms or his body or wrapping his hands together as he undulated to his knees. The dance was sensual and elegant, each movement purposeful, each step calculated. Dwalin didn’t realize the tempo had increased until Nori’s moves became lighter and more vigorous, becoming freer with each scarf removed. He was barely covered now, his skin shimmering under the lights, with freckles dotting his shoulders and back like stars. His body wove like the rope of scarves that trailed behind him, shaking his head as he twisted so his hair fanned out around him. When he made his bared stomach move like the distant oceans down below, Dwalin had to take a drink to unstick his desert-dry mouth; never had he seen such muscle control.

     Finally Nori was clad only in a piece of fabric wound around his hips like a miniskirt, providing tantalizing glimpses of the lower curve of his ass as he bent low. He was obviously wearing something beneath the skirt, but it was not visible to Dwalin’s gaze. Not that he was staring at Nori’s butt. The whole time, at least. What was more enrapturing to him was the look of joy on Nori’s face and the smoulder of his eyes as he looked out at the crowd. Dwalin could have sworn Nori met his eyes a few times, but that was likely wishful thinking; seeing anyone through those bright lights was likely impossible. Nori spun, winding the scarf rope around his body from his toes to his fingertips, stretched high above his head. He held that pose for a breathless moment, a sleek line of banded color. Then he spun the other way, the scarves flying off his body and unhooking from each other so they fluttered to the ground around him. Nori ended his spin with a perfect split, his hands thrown up. The audience roared with applause, many getting to their feet to cheer. Dwalin was one of them and he hoped Nori could hear him over everyone else. Nori, flushed with exertion and chest heaving, stood and took his bow. He winked toward Dwalin’s table and swept off the stage. A technician came out to remove the discarded scarves before the next act came on.

     Dwalin slumped back in his seat, as out of breath as Nori had looked. He felt hot all over and his skin itched to chase the red on Nori’s. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. A waiter tapped his shoulder, startling him.

     “Are you Dwalin?” they asked.

     “Yes,” he cleared his throat, his voice unexpectedly hoarse. “Yes, I am. How can I help you?”

     “Your friend collapsed at the bar.” Their gaze was impersonal, no inflection to their voice. Dwalin jumped to his feet, heart pounding for a new reason.

     “What? Is he okay?”

     “If you would follow me.” Dwalin could see the problem as he approached the bar. Thorin was slumped over the bar top; the Grocer from early was using all his strength to keep Thorin on the barstool, though they were slowly failing as Thorin was nearly twice their size. Dwalin grabbed Thorin under the arms and straightened him up, freeing the Grocer from under Thorin's bulk. Dwalin let him go and Thorin slouched forward until he was a pathetic slump over the bar.

     “My sincerest apologies,” piped up a little voice. Dwalin looked over at the Grocer. “I’m Mr. Bilbo Baggins, of the Shire Couriers. I’m terribly sorry about your friend. He was so nice, we were having a grand time, but he challenged me to a drinking contest.” Bilbo wrung his hands together, obviously nervous under Dalin’s gaze. “I... Well, if I’d known he was such a lightweight, I never would have accepted!”

     “Lightweight?” Dwalin turned wide eyes to the bar top, where a large scattering of bottles and pint glasses sat in pools of condensation. Dwalin had grown up with Thorin and he was no lightweight. For this Grocer to out-drink him and barely appear tipsy was no easy feat.

     “Listen, I can pay for half his tab? It’s my fault he’s like this.” Bilbo seemed truly distressed. Dwalin sighed.

     “It’s fine. I should probably get him back to quarters though.” He dug out Thorin’s credit stick to pay for his drinks. Bilbo handed over his stick as well and Dwalin let him, busy manhandling Thorin upright. Dwalin loved Thorin like a brother, and he didn’t blame Thorin - much. But still he sent a longing gaze toward the door that led backstage. Taking Thorin to a safe place would take longer than **_Steep_ ** would be open, closing with it his chance with Nori. He sighed again as Thorin started to sing in a slurred voice and slung Thorin's flesh arm over his shoulder, as the metal one would lose its grip control when Thorin was inebriated. Carefully, he dragged Thorin out of the tea shop and back to his quarters, stumbling only a little under Thorin’s weight.

 

    Nori hurried through his after-show routine, eager to get back out into the shop. Dwalin had such promise and lovely wide shoulders. Nori removed most of the heavy stage makeup but left a little on, just to accent his face. He yanked on his normal clothes and scurried through the back halls to the main floor entrance. There he stopped and smoothed back his hair, straightening his clothes before he pushed open the door. He swayed over to Dwalin’s table from the back of the booth, hoping to get a delightfully surprised expression from him. He swung around the tall-backed booth to face the table, smile broad- only to stop short, his smile gone. The table was empty.

    Trying not to appear frantic, Nori swept the whole of the floor, then checked the bathrooms for good measure. Dwalin was nowhere to be found. With a chest that felt full of heavy debris, Nori checked with his elder brother Dori, who ran the front of house. He confirmed Nori’s fears: Dwalin had left with another man. His only consolation was that it was the same man he had come in with and the other man appeared to be drunk nearly to unconsciousness. Still, Nori was disappointed, and after assuring Dori he was fine, he went home and curled up in his bed. It wasn't the first time a potential date had left him hanging, but this hurt worse than the other times. He closed his eyes. Maybe if he saw Dwalin again he could explain why he left; Nori could always punch his stupidly attractive face if Dwalin turned out to be a jerk.

    Nori fell asleep with Dwalin’s deep voice echoing around his head.

\-------------------------

    Nori groaned as the harsh light of his SunBulb clicked on, letting him know it was now morning in EREBOR. Because the base was so huge, rooms this far into it didn't get any natural sunlight through tinted windows. Lights specially made to feel like sunshine were interspersed through the halls and buildings, some even in window shapes that had fake scenery to mimic either the planet down below or the space around them. Public SunBulbs were always on. However, Bulbs in private rooms could be set to maintain a specific circadian rhythm, depending on when each person worked.

     Nori buried his head in his warm blankets, refusing to get out of bed. He could feel the general thrum of people moving around, footsteps reverberating through the metal. His morning was around most peoples’ noon.

     "NORI, YOU GET OUT OF BED NOW!" A loud banging on his door startled Nori as he drifted off. Again, he groaned: Dori was one of those people that got up right with their Bulb if not before, despite working late into the 'night.' Nori embraced the soft fabric of his pillow with his face, shoving it over his head as Dori burst in.

     "Noooo," he softly wailed when the pillow was ripped away, flooding his closed eyes with harsh light. " _Dori_..." he whined, pressing his hands to his face in a vain attempt at blocking out the light.

     "No," Dori scolded; Nori could almost see the waggling finger, "I told you last night, I have to go over the books today, so you need to take Ori with you shopping. Be ready to go in 30 clicks." Dori shut the door, taking Nori's pillow with him. Nori tossed the blankets over his head and fished another, smaller pillow from beside the bed. He buried his face in that one to muffle a frustrated scream, then lay for a moment in the warmth and comfort before throwing his blankets off. A shiver went down his spine as the chill of the air hit his skin, but he pushed off from his bed with a grumble. Stumbling, he went into the cleaning chamber and stripped off his night clothes. He pressed his hands to the activation panels inside the bombardment shower. His shoulders slumped as he relaxed in the steady stream of waves or whatever that emitted from the holes surrounding him, he didn't really know the science. He just knew: get in, hands on circles, get clean, get out. Something about particles or something. He yawned, then grimaced as some of the whatever got in his mouth. Idly, he imagined what a water shower must have felt like. The stream shut off and he shook his limbs as he got out.

     The mirror showed just how frizzy his hair had gotten, so he slicked it back with hair moisturizer. Now under control, it was easy to plait his hair into a long braid and curl it into a bun. A few strands escaped the process to drift by his face, and he tucked them behind his ears. After pulling on a shirt and some pants, he inspected himself in the mirror again.

_Maybe just a bit of eyeliner,_ he thought, pulling out his makeup kit. Once he was presentable, with eyeliner as sharp as a knife, Nori leapt down the stairs to the main level of the Rison housing. Dori was working at the food station, turning nutrition packets and imported food into his First Meal. Ori, the youngest inhabitant by only a few years, was nibbling on a nutrient bar while they went over the shopping list. They saw Nori enter and beamed.

    “Nori! Can we go to the main markets today? I heard from a customer last night that a liquor vendor from the Khazad-dum colony is there and I want to get something for the shop.” Most nights, Ori worked as a bartender for the family business. They were studying Arda history with hopes of teaching it, but they still helped out where they could. Nori grinned and ruffled their fashionably short and purple hair as he passed.

    “Course we can.” He snagged a freshly cooked meat slice from Dori’s pan as the other hand grabbed the shopping basket. “You ready to go?” Ori shoved their bar remnants into their mouth as they retracted the rolling list, following Nori out the door.

    The market was as exciting as it ever was, which was to say crowded, stale, and full of tourists. Nori lounged on a low bench outside the temporary shop while Ori haggled cheerful over a crate of bottles. Nori’s eyes wandered lazily over the crowd until a familiar crest of hair caught his attention.

     The huge, beautiful man from last night was just a few temps down from him, with another almost as tall man. This one had his long hair tied back in a low tail. His cybernetic arm peeked from beneath the short cape marking him as an Outer Rim guard commander. Nori leaned back into the liquor temp; the haggling had turned to the old man regaling Ori with tales of a trip dirt-side. Figuring that could take a few cycles, Nori sauntered over to Dwalin and the other man. It wasn't until Dwalin’s eyes met his that he realized the other might not recognize him outside of the costume. He viciously shoved down his insecurities and grinned at them.

     “Hello, handsome,” he said cheekily, hoping Dwalin was still interested in him and he wasn't making a huge mistake. “Who's your friend?” Dwalin looked at him strangely and Nori’s heart sank; clearly, he was not remembered. He tried to play it off, laughing lightly. “What, have you forgotten my beauty already? I'm hurt.”

     The caped man looked between them with his brow furrowed. “Dwalin, who is this?”

     But Dwalin ignored him, staring at Nori with confused eyes. Nori did a helpful little shake, the smallest shimmy from his dance last night, feeling all the more regretful by the minute. Suddenly Dwalin’s eyes widened and he gaped.  “Nori?” he exclaimed.

     Nori grinned while the commander’s eyebrows lowered even further. “Who-”

     “Nori is the dancer I met last night!” Dwalin was grinning widely now, his hands clenching as if he wanted to reach out and embrace Nori. “This is Commander Thorin, my Superior Officer in the Outer Rim Guard,” he told Nori, gesturing to his companion. “He’s the one that took me to **_Steep_ ** last night.” Thorin stared at Nori in disbelief.

     “That's the hot date I kept you from?” he demanded of Dwalin. The broad man’s face suddenly got much darker as blood rushed to it.

     “That is not at all what I said, but yes. Thorin got stone-drunk at the bar,” Dwalin explained to a bemused Nori, “so I had to escort him back to his lodgings. I'm very sorry I missed our-” He floundered for a word. “-meeting.”

     As Dwalin talked, Thorin had been subtly checking Nori out. “I'm surprised you didn't leave me at the bar,” he remarked to Dwalin with a smirk. “I probably would have.”

     Nori chuckled as Dwalin fixed Thorin with a glare, then reached under his cape to pinch something on the back of his modified shoulder. Thorin’s mech arm jerked, then loudly slapped Thorin’s chest. Nori winced in sympathy as Thorin let out a bellow of pain, scowling at Dwalin while rubbing the sore spot with his flesh hand.

     “Sorry about him,” Dwalin said, angling closer to Nori. “I know I missed last night, and you might be too busy or not interested anymore, but we could maybe go out tonight? After you dance? I know of a great place for dinner if you're interested.”

     A thrill went through Nori and he didn't even try to rein in his grin. “I'm not dancing tonight and dinner sounds wonderful.” Dwalin’s while face lit up with his smile. “Here, let me see your comm, I'll give you my code.” They exchanged communication codes and made plans to meet in the eighth cycle outside of **_Steep_**. Thorin watched them with an amused smirk on his face, mostly directed at Dwalin.

     Nori heard his name called and turned to see Ori was out of the booze temp, a crate floating behind them as they searched the crowd nervously. He turned back to Dwalin. “I have to go.”

     “Oh. Okay. I'll see you later.”

“Yeah, see you later.” Dwalin looked so cute, Nori couldn't resist giving him a peck on the cheek. His awed expression when he drew away was almost as sweet as the brief taste of his skin. With a wiggle of his fingers to Thorin, Nori wove back through the crowd to his sibling, a bounce in his step. His future was suddenly looking a whole lot brighter.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think!


End file.
